Container closure and seal



March 11, 1941. 6.0. CONNOR CONTAINER CLOSURE. AND 5!! Filed April 1-1, 1938 INVENTOR Guy 0. Conn er I 7 ,MX/

Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims. (Cl. 220-46) This invention relates to a container closure and seal therefor and. in particular; to .a closure for containers, such as steel shipping drums which are subjected to relatively rough handling.

This is in part a continuation of my application Serial No. 98,148 filed August 27, 1936, for Container closure and seal. i

It frequently happens that the rough handling to which such shipping containers are subjected causes a slight movement between portions of the container and the closure. which are in contact,

with the result that flakes of the lacquer with which the container and closure are usually lined,

fall off into the contents of the container, and 5 similarly with particles of oxide such as rust, if

any is present. This admixture of foreign matter with the material in the container is highly objectionable in many instances, such as powder for plastic molding of light colored articles. The problem is particularly serious in the handling of such material because it is customary to invert the contatiners before emptying them, to insure thorough mixture of various components.

I have invented a novel container closure and seal therefor which precludes direct contact between the container and closure, and thereby avoids the difliculty above mentioned. In addition, the seal of my container closure may be attached without the use of cement or other adliesive, and secures itself in position, although it may be removed if desired. The invention is not limited, however, to a seal formed apart from the closure. The shape of the seal makes it very eil'ective in preventing loss of the material in the container and in excluding the atmosphere and other foreign materials therefrom.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a closure includinga disc portion and-a tubular portion upstanding therefrom, having an outwardly extending rim. For sealing the closure, I employa gasket having a body portion adapted to cooperate with said rim, and a depending neck portion adapted to extend inwardly along said tubular portion of the closure, spacing the latter from the container wall. I preferably provide a small clearance space between the neck of the gasket and the portions of the closure and container thereadjacent. When the closure is applied to a container, the body of the gasket-is engaged by the usual false wire surrounding the open edge of the container, while the depending neck of the gasket extends inwardly of thecontainer opening and entirely separates the closure 68 therefrom, avoiding all metal to metal contact interiorly of the closed container. Other features of the construction and certain modifications thereof will become apparent as the following detailed description thereof proceeds. Such description should be read in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment and certain modifications of the invention. In the drawing,

. Fig. 1 is a partial section through the closure;

Fig. 2 is a similar section through the gasket; Fig. 3 is aplan view of the gasket;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the closure having the gasket applied thereto;

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view showing the closure and gasket applied to a container;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a modification; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing a further modification. 20

Referring now in detail to the drawing, a closure 10 comprises a central disc-like portion II, a tubular or cylindrical portion [2 upstanding therefrom, and a rim l3 extending outwardly and downwardly from the tubular portion E2. The closure is preferably made in one piece by methods and apparatus well known to the metalshaping art. The rim I3 is substantially semicircular in cross section. An outwardly extending bead I4 is rolled into the tubular portion I2 30 for a purpose which will become apparent later. The disc-like portion ll of the closure is dished or convex upwardly, and is provided with a strengthening bead l5.

The gasket I6 comprises a body portion I! and 5 a neck portion I8 depending therefrom. The gasket isv preferably made of elastic material such as rubber, fiber or the like, and may conveniently be formed up from straight stock by cutting to length and vulcanizing the ends of the lengths, 40 as at IE, to form a circular gasket. When so formed, the neck portion l8 should have a slight taper, as indicated in Fig. 2, of about 10, so that the minimum. diameter thereof will be slightly less than'that of the tubular portion I! of the closure Ill. The thickness of the neck is slightly less than the width of the space between the portion l2 of the closure and the adjacent portion of the container, leaving a slight clearance or loose- 5o nessof fit as at l8. The body portion ll of the gasket is substantially semi-circular in cross section so as to fit snugly under the rim l3, and has a passage 19 therethrough, a section of which is of segmental shape. The neck and body, in-

interior of the container, preventing metal to stead of integral as shown, may be separately formed.

The gasket l6 may be pressed onto the tubular portion l2 of the closure In by any convenient means, the body portion ll thereof being forced home against the rim i3, and the tapered neck portion l8 being deformed slightly by stretching. The neck portion cohtracts slightly after passing theebead H in the tubular portion l2 and, because of the tension in the lower edge of the neck,

the latter hugs the tubular portion 12 tightly,

metal contact therebetween. When the closure is pressed on tightly, the body portion of the gasket is deformed, as shown in Fig. 5, but the clearsince [8 between the container and the neck portion I8 is unaffected. This facilitates application of the closure to .the container. The shape of the body portion of the gasket and the passage therethrough is suchlthat the body of the gasket yields readily adjacent the middle of its section. and has tight sealing engagement with the false wire on each side thereof. In other words, the

shape of the gasket and the opening therethrough is such that the gasket engages the false wire 2| adjacent the sides thereof more tightly than on the top. -In effect, this provides a double seal against loss of the contents or entrance of air or other foreign matter. The closure is preferably secured to the container-by any convenient form of clamp, not shown.

Since there is no metal to metal contact between the closure and container interiorly of the latter, there is no chance for lacquer or oxide,

such as rust, to be rubbed oil? of the container or the closure as a result of slight movement of the closure in the container which might occur by reason of rough handling.

In a modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 6, a gasket 22 is applied over the false wire 23 of a container 24 for cooperation with a closure 25 similar to that shown at ",except that it has no bead M; The gasket 22 is shaped to overlie the false wire partly and extends inwardly of the edge thereof to a distance substantially equal to the depth of the tubular portion [2 of the closure, plus the radius of the rim l3. The rim portion 26 of the gasket 22 has a minimum 7 diameter slightly less than the outside diameter gasket l6.

of the false wire 23. The gasket can thus be applied only by stretchingthe outer edge thereof so as to pass over the false wire. The gasket [then contracts around the false wire and secures itself in position without an adhesive cement. The gasket of Fig. 6, likethat shown in Figs. 1 through 5, completely separates the closure from the container and prevents metal to metal contact interiorly of the latter, but leaves a small clearance betweenitself and the tubular portion l2 of the clb'sure,, It may alsobe molded andsecured to the closure in the same manner as the A further modificationis shown in Fig. '1. A

gasket 21 is similar to that shown at I6, except that it has a head 28 for cooperation with an inwardly extending bead 29 rolled into the tubular portion 12" of a closure III". The gasket also has an inward flange 30 which engages under the edge of the central disc-like portion of the closure to. ensure proper entry of the neck of the gasket into the container. In other respects, the construction of the modification of Fig. 7 is the same as that of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 through 5.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the invention provides a closure and seal therefor characterized by numerous advantages. In addition to avoiding metal to metal contact between the closure and container interiorly of the latter, and detachment of flakes of lacquer or other particles from the container or closure as'a result of rough handling, the gasket is attachable without an adhesive cement and normally retains itself in position by virtue of the tension in the portion thereof which is stretched in applying it to the closure or container. This does not, however, prevent removal of the gasket from the closure or container, if

such is desired. The shape of the gasket and the opening therethrough contribute to a more effective sealing than has been obtainable with the closures and seals therefor known heretofore. The loose fit of the neck of the gasket between the'container and closure makes it easy to put the latter on the former.

Although I have illustrated and described herein but one preferred embodiment of the invention and certain modifications thereof, it will be understood that changes in the construction illustrated may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

- 1. In combination, a container having an outrturned rim, a closure therefor having a neck por-- tion which enters the container and provides an annular space between the outer surface of the neck portion and the adjacent wall of the container, the upper end of the closure being turned outwardly and overlying the rim of the container when the closure is applied and means interposed between the container and closure comprising a sealing portion lying between at least a portion of the container rim and the outwardly projecting portion of the closure and adapted there to be compressed upon tightening of the closure upon the container to seal the container and a generally annular neck portion extending from said sealing portion generally inwardly of the container and lying in the annular space between the oontainer and the neck portion of the closure, the clearance or space between the con tainer and the neck portion of the closure being greater than the thickness of said neck portion of the sealing means throughout the extent of said neck portion of the sealing means.

, 2. In combination, a container having an outturned rim, a closure therefor having a neck portion which enters the container and provides an annular space between the outer surface of the ,neck portion and the adjacent wall of the conly projecting portion ofthe closure and. adapt there to be compressed upon tightening of the closure upon the container to seal the container and a generally annular neck portion extending from said sealing portion generally inwardly of the container and lying in the annular space be tween the container and the neck portion of the closure, said neck portion of the sealing means being loosely positioned between the container and the neck portion of the closure throughout the extent of said neck portion of the sealing means.

3. In combination, a container having-an outturned rim, a closure therefor having a neck portion which enters the container and provides an annular space between the outer surface of the neck portion and the adjacent wall of the container, the upper end of the closure being turned outwardly and overlying the rim of. the container when the closure is applied and means interposed between the container and closure comprising a sealing portion lying between at least a portion of the container rim and the outwardly projecting portion of the closure and adapted there to be compressed upon tightening of the closure upon the container to seal the container and a generally annular neck portion extending from said sealing portion generally in wardly of the container and lying in the annu lar space between the container and the neck portion of the closure, the thickness of said neck' portion of the sealing means being throughout its extent less than half the difference between the outside diameter of the neck portion of the closure and the inside diamter of the open end ofis applied and means interposed between the container and closure comprising a relatively thick sealing portion lying between at least a the extent of said neck portion of the sealing means.

5. A closure for a container having a neck por tion which enters the container and provides an annular space between the outer surface of the neck portion and the adjacent wall of the container, the upper end of the closure being turned outwardly to overlie the rim of the container when the closure is applied and means interposable between the container and closure comprising a sealing portion adapted to lie between at leasta portion of the container rim and the outwardly projecting portion of the closure and adapted there to be compressed upon tightening of the closure upon the container to seal the container and a generally annular neck portion extending from said sealing portion and adapted to project generally inwardly of the container and to lie in the annular space between the container and the neck portion of the closure, the neck portion of the sealing means being loosely positionable between the container and the neck portion of the closure throughout the extent of said neck portion of the sealing means.

6. The article defined by claim 1, character" ized by said means having at its inner surface an engaging said closure.

inwardly extending flange GUY O. CONNER. 

